TCP Tuesday 117: Hola!

Alma is hosting this week's TCP Tuesday challenge and is directing us to use our colored pencils and gamsol. I will admit that I do own both but had to look around a bit for my gamsol, only to find it right under my nose, atop my stamping table. I think I need to boost my memory as it seems I've been "misplacing" quite a few things lately.

Ok, on to my card. I stamped the image from Hola Tequila and then attempted to create a charcoal drawing sort of look with a black colored pencil, gamsol and a stump. Not sure if I'd win a blue ribbon at the county fair for my efforst, but it was the effort just the same, right?! After I'd stamped the sentiment, mounted the layers and stitched around the main image, I attempted to create a "shadow" effect on the sentiment by stamping it again in a darker ink, only to find that I'd gotten extra ink on my clear block which subsequently smeared onto my main image...grrrr! I decided to leave it and told myself it "totally" fit the look and feel of the card, ha!

Oh, see that cute pennant banner?! Totally not my brain child, totally copied the idea from Amy Sheffer's last week's SFYTT card, but I TOTALLY love the idea! Thanks, Amy!

Now it's time to get yourself over to Alma's blog for all the TCP Tuesday deets, and thank you for popping by today!

~Amy

SFYTT Technical Difficulties...

My card is completed and ready to be photographed, but where is my camera?! As soon as I find it, I'll be back with my complete SFYTT post. For now, here is Jen's sketch and links to the rest of the SFYTT crew!

ETA: I found the camera...in one of the places I'd already looked once, ugh! Oh, and did I tell you how hot and humid it is here in Ellsworth, WI today? Yeah, pretty much goes with my day so far! Ok, on with my SFYTT ala Verve card!

It's a big day over at Verve today with new releases and such, so I used an absolutely wonderful Verve set for my SFYTT card, Just For You.

I used one of my favorite color combos here with a bit of linen thread, buttons and punched branches flanking the layered flower. After punching the black branches, I looked at the leftover scrap and thought it would compliment the card perfectly, so I used it as the lower horizontal layer...love it when things just work out like that. See, my day wasn't going to horribly after all!

ETA: I'm once again adding to my post today. After looking through Just For You, I decided to make another card and this one came together so quickly...grabbing scraps here and there on my stamp table: wide striped ribbon, buttons and music paper all within reach. Lots of distressing on the sentiment panel done by rolling the paper this way and that, tugging at the edges and sponging with PTI's Vintage Inks.

Here's a detail of the sentiment panel...

Speaking of Verve, Jen has a great giveaway prize for participating in this week's sketch, so be sure to check it out and get stamping! Can't wait to see what other Verve-a-liciousness is waiting, so let's see who else is getting their Verve on today!

Jen and Andrea
Susan
Sonja
Amy
Amber
Kelly
Leigh
Jodi
Jenn

Hope to see you real soon!
Amy

TCP Tuesday 115: Fun in the Sun!

Toni is our hipster hostess with the mostess for TCP Tuesday #115, and she's got a great inspiration piece for you this week. I used the colors of the piece and created a background that mimics the essence of the piece, if you will. The background was made using three different colors of PTI pigment ink: Hawaiian Shores, Spring Moss and Aqua Mist, stamped repeatedly on Hawaiian Shores cardstock. The sentiment and Sprinkle in her floaty are part of the great summer set, Fun In The Sun and she is stamped in Versafine Black ink on a white MFT Perfect Paper Panel. As you can see, Sprinkle is happy to stay in one spot as she's thrown anchor and tied herself to the "swim up bar" with some lovely TCP linen thread. Ü

Be sure to check out Toni's blog for the inspiration piece as well as all the swanky TCP Tuesday deets. Remember, this is your chance to win some Cat Cash as well as a chance at becoming Swanky Stamper of the Month over at TCP!

Have a great week, and I'll see you Saturday if not before!
Amy

for my husband {SFYTT}

My hubby and I celebrated our wedding anniversary this past week, so I've actually had my SFYTT card done since Monday, if you can believe it! I sorta did that on purpose so I'd be all done with my card for the week, and I have to say, it was a good thing, because I really like the card, a win-win! I won't go on to tell you what a wonderful husband I have, or how he drives me crazy at times, yet I still love him and agree that I've got the "best catch" ever...nah, wouldn't want to bore you with all that.

I used a bit of PTI here: woodgrain impression plate, A Little Argyle and Masculine Motifs, along with their Kraft cardstock and black button. The other colors here are Not Quite Navy and (retired) Cool Caribbean from SU!.

Here's the inside with a computer generated sentiment. Really...he is a good catch, I wouldn't lie about that!

Please don't forget that The Cat's Pajamas, My Favorite Things and Verve stamp companies are having a great shopping promo to support our dear friend, Susan Liles, and her family in the midst of her husband's battle with cancer. You'll get 10% off your purchase with a portion of the proceeds going to the Liles Family Fund. It's a great reason to pick up some of those sets and supplies you've had on your list! The discount code for MFT is: SusieQ, but no discount code is required at Verve and TCP. Happy Shopping!

Here's today's SFYTT lineup sans Susan, who is taking a break this week.

Jen & Andrea
Amber
Amy
Leigh
Kelly
Jodi
Jenn
Sonja
Megan

Last but not least is a $10 giveaway to PixiePetals over at Jen's blog for the lucky winner who participates in this week's SFYTT, so head on over for all the deets!

~Amy

Let's Shop for {The Glory of Love}!

When I heard that the The Cat's Pajamas, My Favorite Things and Verve stamp companies were stepping up and out to support our dear friend, Susan Liles, and her family in the midst of her husband's battle with cancer, the Bette Midler song, The Glory of Love, from Beaches, popped into my head. Not sure why, but it always tugs at my heart and as does the tough times that Susan and her family are facing right now. We love you Susan, Eric and girls and are here to support you! Here are the details of the weekend benefit sale:

This Friday through Sunday, MFT, Verve and TCP will be having a special sale to benefit the Liles family. You receive 10% off any purchase with a percentage of the sale going to the Liles family.

shop The Cat's Pajamas
shop My Favorite Things
shop Verve

Here is your chance to pick up a few sets that you've had your eye on and make a difference in the Liles family at the same time...a win-win! Or if you'd rather, you may donate via Paypal directly to the Liles family. To do so, please click here and you'll be directed to Susan's blog. If you would prefer to donate anonymously or have any questions, you may contact Sheila: sheila@remember4faith.com.

Lyrics | Bette Midler - The Glory of Love lyrics

Thanks again, and remember that the sale runs from June 18 - June 20!
~Amy

TCP Tuesday 114: Stay Cool!

Leigh is our hostess for this week's TCP Tuesday, and she's got a fun sketch. Click on over to her blog for the details and the original sketch.

I used By The Sea for my card, stamping that cute whale on a scrap of ledger paper, cutting him out, coloring his tongue pink and be-jeweling his eyes. Other than that, I left him pretty plain because I wanted my card to be clean and simple. The felt waves layer is from a scrap of felt I'd die cut with my PTI eyelet lace border, leaving this cute mini wave...gotta love leftovers! Finally, I used my MFT cloud trio die, using the larger for the sentiment, stamping it once in Cool Caribbean and a second time in black.

Have a great day, and if you're in the midst of a hot spell wherever you are...stay cool!
~Amy

Skipping Stones Design {SFYTT}

This week's SFYTT is being sponsored by Skipping Stones Design, and I'm using their set called Garden Kiss for my card today. I really love the bird and butterfly images and all of the alternative backgrounds, or "kissing" stamps offered in the set! After making the first card using black and Kiwi Kiss (SU!), I liked it so much that I made two additional cards using Plum Pudding and Aqua Mist (PTI). Here's the set:

Here's a closeup shot of the Kiwi card showing the woodgrain embossing detail on the black layer. I used PTI's woodgrain embossing plate and absolutely love the look of it on black, so be watching for more of that to come!

Other fun elements of the card include a neat sentiment from Verve's Dare to Be You set, striped paper from Crate Paper's 5th Ave. collection, sheet music, buttons and twine.

I can't wait to see what the other girls have done with this fun sketch and more of the SSD stamps, so let's get on with the blog roll!

Jen & Andrea (June Guest Designer)
Amy
Jodi
Susan
Kelly
Leigh
Jenn
Megan
Sonja
Amber

Have a wonderful weekend!
~Amy

TCP Tuesday Past & Present!

Last week was a little crazy with lots of things, and I sorta forgot to post my TCP Tuesday card (Joanne's color challenge), so I'm going to share last week's card and this week's card with you today.

Here is last week's card using Joanne's color combo, plum/chocolate/vanilla (yum, doesn't that sound good enough to eat?!), and Joyride. Like I said, last week was a heavy dose of crazy, so I kept things fairly simple with a go-to sketch, patterned paper and a simple grosgrain ribbon holding the sentiment in place.

For this week's TCP Tuesday card, I used Nightie Alphabet with the chicken soup image from You Sick Thing. Susan is our hostess this week, challenging us to use our TCP Alpha sets, so I used the "got milk?" theme but changed it to "got soup?" for a fun get well card.

Thanks for stopping by today! Hope you enjoyed my past and present TCP Tuesday cards and get a chance to play along this week. Stop by Susan's for all the details of this week's challenge.

~Amy

Best of Luck {SFYTT}

It's hard to believe it's June already, but you know what a new month means...a new month of great sketches from Jen and a new guest designer joining the SFYTT crew. June also means graduation parties, and that's where I'll be heading this afternoon, so I used Miss PI--You Make the Grade along with a sentiment from Verve's Great Expectations. I realize it's not your traditional grad card, but I'm thinking the recipient will enjoy it all the same.

Here's this week's sketch along with the SFYTT gals with more fun inspiration for you.

Jen & Andrea Ewen
Amber
Amy
Jenn
Jodi
Kelly
Leigh
Megan
Susan
Sonja

Have a great weekend everyone!

~Amy

MFT June Release Blog Hop

Welcome! You might have arrived here from Megan's blog, and if you didn't and would like to take it from the top, hop to Kim's blog for all the full release details and the top of the blog hop order. Tonight marks my last "official" MFT duty as June Guest Designer, and I've had a ball playing with all of these new sets. I don't know what it is about having brand new stamps in hand, but it sure is exciting. I hope you've enjoyed my teasers and blog hops over the last week. I sure appreciate all of your sweet comments! Thanks so much, Kim and the MFT Gals!

For tonight's card, I once again chose WTG Goes Green, but this time my color palette includes yellow and black with splashes of kraft. This set is double fun with 2 WTG images plus sentiments, so for $17.95 you're getting a lot of go-go for your green! Fun details include mini gems placed below the curved sentiment, ruffled ribbon tied with twine and the border using my Jumbo Scallop Die-Namics. The sentiment is a straight-line shot, but I curved the stamp on my clear block and "wah-la", a fun curve appeal.

Ok, so I have to tell you that after I finished the card, I showed it to DH who immediately said, "...so, are the (shopping) bags organic or something?"! Ok, so this sentiment probably goes better with the other image of WTG at the farmer's market browsing the "organic" fruits and veggies, but here's my thought process. I figure she's looking pretty sexy in her high heels and most likely has some organic fruit in her reusable grocery bags, right? So, that makes her "organic sexy" in my book! Did you buy it?!

I do believe I'm the last stop on the hop, so head on over to MFT and get your "green" on!

~Amy

Embellish Magazine Blog Hop WINNER!

Last week, I participated in the Embellish Magazine blog hop and one of the sweet gals who left a comment on my post is a prize winner! Enjoy, Christina, and thanks again for playing along with the hop!

I'll be back tomorrow with another MFT teaser, so please stop by.
~Amy